A Comment Upon the Two Tales of our Ancient Renovvned, and Ever Living Poet Sr Jeffray Chaucer, Knight. Who, For his Rich Fancy, Pregnant Invention, and Present Composure, deserved the Countenance of a Prince, and his Laureat Honour. The Miller's Tale, and The Wife of Bath [by Richard Brathwait] |
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A Comment upon the Wife of Bathes Tale. |
 | A Comment Upon the Two Tales of our Ancient |  |
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A Comment upon the Wife of Bathes Tale.
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All was this lond fulfilled of fairy
The Elfe quene, with her joly company &c.
Pug wooed Jug, a wily Cub,
To drink with him a Sillibub,
Which drunk, they so familiar grew,
As Jug became one of the Crew.
169
My liege lady: generally, qd. he
Women desiren to haue souerainte
As well ouer her husbonds as her loue
And for to ben in maistry hem aboue
This is your most desire, though ye me kill
Doth as you list, I am here at your will.
Nor Love, nor Life, nor Liberty, nor Land,
Can please a Wench, unless she have Command.
174
My loue (qd he) nay my dampnation
Alas that any of my nation &c.
Paula likes me, so shall I never her,
Because she's old, unless she elder were.
181
Wel can the wise poete of Florence
That hight Daunte, speke in this sentence.
Ingenuous Daunt, who had the Art to fit
His Subject to his Verse, his Verse to it.
185
And there as ye of pouertie me repreue
The hie God, on whom that we bileue
In wilful pouerte chese to lede his life &c.
186
Before a Thief may sing a merry Note.
187
Now sir, eke of elde ye repreued me
And certes sir, though none autorite
Were in no boke ye gentils of honour
Saine that men shuld an old wight honour &c.
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So were deep Furrows in an Aged Brow.
194
And so they slepte till it was morow graie
And than she said, whan it was daie
Cast vp the courteine, and loke how it is.
And when this knight saw all this
That she so faire was and so yong therto
For joy he hent her in his armes two.
195
Ten Kisses short as one, one long as Twenty.
—And Iesu Christ us sende
Husbondes meke, yong, and fresh a bedde
And grace to ouerliue hem that we wed.
And I pray to God, to short her liues
That will not be gouerned by her wiues
And olde and angry nigardes of dispence
God send hem sone a very pestilence.
196
The Bridegroom joyes in his new-formed Bride
No Part in her appears from Top to Toe
But may give Nature thanks for making't so;
Inward and Outward Graces joyntly meet,
To make his Comfort in her more compleat;
Long did they live together in true Love,
While each with other in Affection strove:
“May all Folk marry so that would live well,
“Or let them tarry, and lead Apes in Hell.
| A Comment Upon the Two Tales of our Ancient | |